Diagnostic thresholds and performance of noninvasive fibrosis scores are limited by age in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Abstract

AIM:

We aimed at investigating the effects of age on the predictive performances of noninvasive fibrosis scores for significant fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS:

A total of 496 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy were stratified into four age groups: ≤30, 31 to 40, 41 to 50, and ≥51 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis score-4 (Fib-4) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase to platelet ratio (GPR) in different age groups.

RESULTS:

The extent of fibrosis significantly increased with age, and the percentage of significant fibrosis (≥F2) was 21.3%, 29.0%, 38.5%, and 46.1%, respectively. All three scores displayed a moderate accuracy to diagnose significant fibrosis in overall patients. However, for patients with age ≤30 years, APRI, Fib-4, and GPR performed poorly with the AUROC of 0.567, 0.627 and 0.596, respectively. Furthermore, using the established cut-off values-1.45 for Fib-4, the sensitivity for significant fibrosis increased with age, from 14.8%, 38.1%, 74.5% to 97.87% in above age groups, respectively. To improve the diagnostic accuracy for significant fibrosis, the proposed low and high cut-off points for Fib-4 were 0.41 and 1.15 in ≤30 years, 0.8 and 1.59 in 31 to 40 years, 1.17 and 1.94 in 41 to 50 years, 1.76 and 3.10 in ≥ 51 years, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

Age may influence the diagnostic thresholds and performance of APRI, Fib-4, and GPR for significant fibrosis in patients with CHB. In particular, these scores performed poorly for identifying significant fibrosis in younger patients (≤30 years).

• Authors: Wentao Wang, Xueqi Zhao, Guiping Li, Lin Wang, Yizhi Chen, Ke Ma, Guang Chen, Tao Chen, Meifang Han, Qin Ning, Xiping Zhao
• Journal: Journal of medical virology (J Med Virol) Vol. 91 Issue 7 Pg. 1279-1287 (07 2019) ISSN: 1096-9071 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30788841 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Biopsy
• Female
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (diagnosis, pathology)
• Humans
• Liver Cirrhosis (diagnosis, virology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Predictive Value of Tests
• ROC Curve
• Retrospective Studies
• Severity of Illness Index
• Young Adult